December 12, 2008, Historians talk about Independence, Under the light of the Milky Way, By Arturo Morales Tirado

Historians talk about Independence
December 12, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Mexican Independence Lectures
Independence as a Political Project: Morelos and Fernando VII
Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Michael Archangel: Insurgent Symbols
Fri, Dec 12, 10:30am
Teatro Ángela Peralta
Mesones 82
Free

The state government of Guanajuato, the state Commission for the Bicentennial Celebration, the Association of Historians of Guanajuato and the local government of San Miguel invite the general public to two free lectures about Mexican Independence.

Alfredo Ávila Rueda, Ph.D., from the Historical Research Institute of UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), offers the first lecture, called “The Independence as a Political Project: José María Morelos and King Ferdinand VII of Spain.”

José Luis Luna, from the Association of Historians of Guanajuato and from the University of Guanajuato, gives the second lecture, called “Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Michael Archangel: Insurgent Symbols.”

Under the light of the Milky Way
By Arturo Morales Tirado

Lecture
Popular celebrations of December
Tue, Dec 16, 1:30pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos

Since time immemorial in ancient Mesoamerica, in the territory occupied by the people of central and southeastern Mexico and Central America, the Milky Way in December stood in the ritual calendar as an expression of observation and knowledge of the stars, inserting our human dimensions into the complex and magnificent cosmic concert of the universe from Earth.

Then, after the first Catholic missionaries arrived in America in 1493, the Spanish culture, expressed in the Mediterranean Catholic style, began to unite in a syncretistic dance full of contrasts, tensions and forms masking the great tradition of indigenous ritual.

Today, in magical places with a great living heritage drawn from monuments to the culture and customs of those inhabiting this beautiful place, we may witness December festivities, yearly rituals that create identity among residents of San Miguel de Allende. Posadas enacting the birth of Jesus, live pastorelas, indigenous dances associated with the winter solstice and the climax of the dry and cold season of the year mark the farm rituals under the sky, dominated by the blackest and most central area of our constellation, the Milky Way.

To know the culture of San Miguel and enjoy it deeply, I invite you to get closer to this unique experience, in this week’s presentation accompanied by dozens of photos.